Secondary Steelmaking Refractories — A Practical Training Seminar

Conference Details: 22–25 October 2018, Charleston, S.C., USA
No. of Attendees:  75 — including 35 from steel producers representing 17 different facilities

Giff Daughtridge, vice president and general manager of Nucor Steel–Berkeley, gave the keynote speech to kick off the training seminar. He gave an overview of the Berkeley facility and discussed Nucor’s role in the global marketplace. He also challenged everyone to know why tasks at their facility are done a certain way, and if that way doesn’t make sense, to ask questions and cause change.
The rest of the day focused on raw materials for ladles and casting refractories, refractory production and testing, refractory design and wear, and operations from tap to cast. The first day of the conference concluded with a lively panel discussion where Rob Doty, IMACRO Inc.; Harriet Dutka, SANGRAF International; Ruth Engel, Refractory Consulting Services; and Tom Connors, Connor Industrials Inc. answered numerous questions from the attendees.
The second day started with a thorough safety discussion about the ladle and refractory areas of the meltshop. The day proceeded with a focus on technologies using infrared sensors and laser monitoring systems. The curriculum gave the attendees a good technical understanding of ladle furnaces, tundish technologies, and operational issues like free opens from the ladle and mold flux principles.
The conference wrapped up with a tour of Nucor Steel–Berkeley. The group had the opportunity to see the electric arc furnaces, ladle metallurgy furnaces, vacuum tank degasser, as well as both the beam and CSP casters.

Jimmy Barrett (right) presented Helmut Oltmann (left) with a plaque of appreciation for hosting a tour of Nucor Steel–Berkeley for the attendees of Secondary Steelmaking Refractories — A Practical Training Seminar.
1. A panel discussion was held during Secondary Steelmaking Refractories — A Practical Training Seminar (left to right): Tom Connors, Harriet Dutka, Jimmy Barrett (moderator), Ruth Engel and Rob Doty. 2. Albert Dainton (left) and Ruth Engel (right) had a chance to catch up at the seminar.